“How are you feeling? Do you need help with your heat?” Maria shook her head at Nao’s questioning.

The heat was bad right now but it had not turned into an all-consuming flame for now. Maria wanted to take this time to rest up for what was about to come.

“I’ll sleep for a little while. I will need the energy to walk away. I’ll take care of this heat once we reach a safe spot” Maria waved Nao off. She knew her answer had disappointed Nao a great deal but she was not in a mood to move.

They needed to ditch the train as soon as possible and that put their plan in an awkward position.

They had stolen the train from the right and blown the royal guards so Maria expected to be tracked down soon. The train was a sitting duck when that happened.

Plus, the fuel they had was limited. Maria had not checked for the fuel tank since she did not know how to. She hadn’t asked her system either since it had not crossed her mind.

How was Maria supposed to know that this would happen? It was not like she was given a step-by-step guideline on what to do.

“I understand. I’ll keep my distance for now” Nao seemed to have misunderstood her words and left with a quiet walk. Maria felt irritated but not quite in a mood to chase Nao down.

Maybe there was some ground for Nao to have made that assumption.

Maria felt her eyes close and her mind blank away into dark safety. It was peaceful and calm just as she liked it. The heat was also absent and the room felt a lot like her hospital room in her previous life.

Maria felt taken aback but she also knew she missed those easy days. They had been calm and easy but did she want them back? Could she trade her precious people for that peaceful life?

Maria was not sure she wanted an answer to her question.

Her dream was sweet but over a lot sooner than Maria would have liked. Something shook her body and broke through Maria’s unconsciousness.

Maria woke up slowly but her eyes remained closed. She felt the presence of a body adjacent to her and it felt vaguely familiar but not enough for Maria to instantly recognize. It forced her body into motion and Maria held the other at knife-point within seconds.

The other party did not remain stationary and quickly made use of their body to pin Maria down into a familiar choke-hold. The familiarity put Maris at ease and the tension started to bleed out.

There were only so many people who knew this signal. It made Maria feel safer and finally opened her eyes.

“Wow, Nao was not lying about you calming down if I did this. Ah, I mean, I’m sorry for trying to choke you” Suna quickly backed away from Maria with a startled expression. She looked unsure of her actions but also surprised at having gotten a favorable reaction.

Of course, it had been Nao who told Suna what to do. Though it did sting that Nao chose not to come here herself. Did Maria disappoint her that much? Did Nao resent her now?

“Your partner went ahead to scout the perimeters. She’ll be back soon. I think she’s avoiding you but I-I could be wrong” Suna tripped over her words when she found Maria’s glare aimed at her.

Maria did not need Suna to tell her about Nao’s avoidance. She had felt it for herself and knew that there was a distance between them. Their confrontation had caused a fracture between their bond and Maria did not see it mending without some effort on both their sides.

“How long ago did Nao leave? Did you secure this place properly once she left? You do know that you’ll be killed if the royal guards found us?” Maria’s voice came out almost snappish and she saw Suna flinch at her words.

Maria instantly felt guilty about this. Suna did not deserve to receive the brunt of her bad mood and residual anger Maria felt over Nao. Suna had done nothing wrong except help them out under tough situations. It was not Suna’s fault that Nao had a fallout with her.

“I know what will happen, alright and I did secure the perimeter properly. I’m not a total fool” Suna replied with a sour voice. The guilt inside Maria increased in volume. She had not meant for her words to come out like that.

It seemed like she had offended Suns with her words without meaning to and Maria had no idea how to apologize to her.

“Quick, we need to leave. I found a nearby small village where we can spend a night at. There will be a small local group that will be passing through chariot hill. We can get a bus to the Grand Canyon from there” Nao’s timing was impeccable as she arrived on the train.

She looked tired and sour but happy at having found a solution. Maria couldn’t help but find Nao’s timing frustrating but she also wanted to talk to Nao about Suna and how Maria should go about her apology.

Besides, spending a night indoors and having access to a fresh bath sounded divine.

Suna looked relieved at not having to spend a night outside as well and Maria counted it as a success. Her apology would work so much better if they were not all tired and grumpy to accept it.

“Let’s leave right now. This train is not safe so we should dispose of it as well and prepare a false trail” Maria suggested and they all got to work. It was a long process to make the train crash seem like an accident and then prepare a trial good enough to fool the royal nights.

And even after all that, Maroa knew it would not be enough to keep the royal guards busy for long. They would need to leave soon enough.

“I booked us three rooms for the night. Take this time to rest properly since we need to depart at noon” Nao advised before she closed her room door. Suna went inside hers as well and Maria was left alone with her heat and needs.

Maria fell on her bed and then remembered a crucial point – she had no supply. All her supplies rested with Nao and Maria felt her burn at the thought of asking Nao for them.

Luckily, things did not come down to it and Maria heard a knock at her door. Nao entered the room without waiting for Miria to open it and rested her supplies on the bed.

“I know we have our differences but allow me to help you out. You are in no condition to take care of yourself alone” Nao spoke and Miara surrendered.

[All important notes will be displayed as free chapters here. Be aware of them. And Enjoy]